Hillsdale Academy soccer run ends at regional semifinals; Hackett Catholic wins 2-0
LANSING — Hillsdale Academy boys soccer defeated Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic to start their 2023 season in a 4-2 final.
On Tuesday, the Irish earned revenge against the Colts at the Region 14 semifinals held at Lansing Christian.
The Irish scored one goal in the first half and extended their lead in the second half to earn a 2-0 win.
The Colts offense had few chances to make noise in the first half, but senior Jay Jenkins had the best goal opportunity of the first half of play, but a save from a Hackett Catholic defender kept the Colts off the board.
It took 25 minutes of play for Hackett Catholic to score again in the second half. A flurry of Colts opportunities at the net would fall short in the final 15 minutes of regulation.
Hackett Catholic moves on to the regional finals, where they are set to play host school Lansing Christian. The matchup takes place Thursday, Oct. 26 at Lansing Christian.
Hillsdale Academy's run ends after three playoff shutout wins. The Colts defeated Jackson Christian 1-0 in the district quarters. They beat Jonesville 3-0 at Jackson Lumen Christi in the district semifinals. They would defeat Manchester 2-0 in the district championship match to win their fourth consecutive district title.
Week 9 Top Performers: Academy soccer players earn multiple goals on way to district title
The Colts started their season off with a 4-1 record. Their only loss was to Hartford in the Cougar Cup tournament. The Colts lost three straight games to some of the best teams in Division 4, including University Liggett and Lansing Christian.
The Colts then won four games in a row, including wins over Bronson, Manchester and Lenawee Christian. The Colts outscored their opponents 24-1 during that stretch of the season.
Hillsdale Academy's season ends with an overall record of 15-7-1. Seven seniors would play their final match for the Colts varsity soccer program and coach Neal Brady. The Class of 2024 Colts soccer seniors are Benny Cote, Jay Jenkins, Ridley Fast, Grant Walton, Dominic Scharer, Magnus Heckel and Nathan Karlovich.
Grant Walton says that most of the seniors have been playing for Academy soccer since 8th grade and that the group played with their brotherhood mentality for all 80 minutes against Hackett Catholic.
"Most of us have been there since 8th grade, fighting together for five years in a row," said Walton. "We've been like brothers ever since that first season. This was a tough game, but we fought our hearts. We left it all on the field. The outcome is tough to deal with but that's just how it is."
Academy senior Ridley Fast stepped into a leadership role in his final two seasons with the program. Fast has been playing soccer his whole life, and he says he cherished every moment of his senior season playing for the Colts coaching staff and with his best friends.
"It's been a blast but it's sad to see it end," said Fast. "I've been playing my whole life. We wanted to get it done today but we didn't. It's a good life lesson because the outcome isn't always what you want. For my teammates, I cherished being there for our senior year. You can never have anything like it again. I want to say thanks to my coaches because they have been awesome. It's been an honor to play for them and play with my best friends every day. It's been great to represent this school."
The '24 senior class has been together for five seasons. Coach Neal Brady says those five years is one of the reasons why this group has been able to accomplish big things for the program during their careers.
"I think that's one thing that allowed them to be as poised as they were at times," he said. "Four of the last five years they won district championships, which is not an easy feat at all. This year, we matured as the season went on. I think we matured emotionally more than physically. At the end, we were our best the last couple of weeks emotionally and physically. Going into this game, we felt we were in a position to win and to move on. That's what makes it so devastating for the team."
Brady believes the team has learned a lot from this season that has made each player a better person. Brady says that goal is the thing that matters most in the end of any season.
"They recognized that they learned a lot and grew and that they are better people because of this season. That's what it's really about in the end: becoming better people. If in the course of that, you are good soccer players and win a district title, that's a bonus. Us coaches accomplished what we set out to do. We had a year where people became better men and some of them became better soccer players. We hoisted a nice trophy and that gives us joy."
Brady says that he believes the coaches couldn't have asked for more from this senior class. He thinks that the seniors will be able to look back and accept and rejoice their accomplishments from the season, in time, once they are able to separate those things from Tuesday's result.
"I don't think we could have asked for anything more," he said. "I was telling the boys, unless you win a state championship, the last game of the year is going to be like a funeral in a sense that it was a life well lived. We keep it in our hearts and don't forget it. We learn from it. So, in some ways we rejoice at this time and it's hard to accept that when you played 80 minutes and came up short, but they'll figure that out tomorrow or the days to come."
Coach Brady also commended his assistant coaches - Matt Nolan, Nolan Sullivan and Aaron Tracy - for the work they have put in investing into the program just as much as the players. Brady thanked the school administration - including Athletic Director Nathan Neveau - for their work this fall.
"The coaching staff loves being here," said Brady. "There are as upset about the season ending as the players are. That really helps me and helps the players to see that the coaches love the sport and that they see the players as sons and brothers. That's another bonus for the team. Our Athletic Director - Nate Neveau - has done a spectacular job for us this year. We couldn't ask for anything more from the administration and from the school. We really are a blessed team."
For more information and results from the MHSAA soccer postseason, head to the homepage at Boys Soccer | Michigan High School Athletic Association (mhsaa.com).
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale Academy soccer run ends at regional semifinals; Hackett Catholic wins 2-0
